Hardin County COVID-19 Coverage

Public health officials announced Thursday morning that another Hardin County resident has tested positive for COVID-19, bringing the county-w…

UPDATE: This story, which was originally published at 9:15 a.m., was updated at 2:45 p.m. after a 15th local case was reported.

The Franklin County Fair will look decidedly different this year. The board announced Tuesday that it will cancel all non-4-H and FFA activiti…

While all livestock industries are taking a hit amid closed or slowed processing plants and booked lockers, perhaps none has been as affected …

The coronavirus pandemic is far from over - Iowans are still testing positive for the virus and dying of the disease every day. But after more…

While some communities have made the decision to cancel their summer festivals amid the coronavirus pandemic, leaders in Iowa Falls will attem…

Iowa’s Ride founder TJ Juskiewicz announced on Tuesday that the cross-state bicycle ride's inaugural event will be rescheduled for next summer…

After 56 days in the hospital, Justin Weber is back in a familiar place: home.

A 13th Hardin County resident has tested positive for COVID-19. The newest case was announced Wednesday by Greenbelt Home Care/Hardin County P…

Many teachers believe the value of social interaction with their students often outweighs the content they’re teaching.

The Ackley Chamber of Commerce has made the decision to cancel Sauerkraut Days 2020.

The coronavirus pandemic has hit livestock farmers hard. Outbreaks of COVID-19 have forced the closure of processing plants, slowing or haltin…

A Hardin County resident tested positive for COVID-19 over the weekend, bringing the local case count to 12. The new case was announced by the…

A successful grant application will allow the Iowa Falls Education Association the opportunity to help as many as 20 families in need during t…

The Iowa Falls Parks and Recreation Department will wait to make a decision about whether to open the Meyer Municipal Aquatic Center.

A COVID-19 patient who had been identified as a Hardin County resident last week is, in fact, a Marshall County resident. The correction, made…

Since the arrival of the novel coronavirus pandemic in Iowa in March, Hardin County Emergency Management Coordinator Thomas Craighton has dist…

Kathy Stockdale’s road in education has been long and winding. Tuesday night, May 12, the Iowa Falls Rock Run fifth grade teacher watched as a…

Iowa Falls dentist Dr. Mike Colwell knew he had a problem.

The Gourley family's May calendar was jam packed with commencements, parties, a wedding and babies.

An already good day got better for remote Hurts Donut Co. customers on Friday. The 6-year-old Missouri-based doughnut maker, with a franchise …

A lack of prep time and personal protective equipment (PPE) has forced local dental offices to delay reopening even after Gov. Kim Reynolds de…

Another Hardin County resident has tested positive for COVID-19, bringing the total number of local cases to 12. The new case was announced wh…

School Districts in Hardin County will receive more than $370,000 from the federal government as part of the $71.6 million released to Iowa by…

One week ago Babs Miller took a chance on what she called a "crazy idea." It didn't take her long to realize it wasn't crazy at all.

Two more Hardin County residents have tested positive for COVID-19, the respiratory disease caused by the novel coronavirus. The new cases wer…

There are some activities that can be done while following the six-foot social distancing rules. Dancing isn't one of them.

Community swimming pools are one of the most popular destination points during the summer, but the ongoing coronavirus pandemic may force thos…

The energy was as palpable as the incoming rain clouds in the South Hardin High School Parking lot Wednesday afternoon. 

“It’s not surprising where he is right now,” Krista Weber says of her husband, Justin Weber, “it’s a miracle.”

In a proclamation issued last week, Gov. Kim Reynolds gave libraries in 77 Iowa counties permission to reopen their doors after more than a mo…

After the announcements in recent weeks of the cancellation of two local summer festivals, it would stand to reason that other festivals would…

On March 17 Governor Kim Reynolds closed all fitness centers for the foreseeable future.

Three weeks ago I asked Times Citizen readers to share their good news.

A long-standing pillar of the high school experience - the yearbook - survives as a snapshot of a year of memories.

Nearly every local business has been impacted by the novel coronavirus pandemic, according to a recent survey conducted by the Iowa Falls Area…

The annual Alden Days celebration - scheduled for June 19-20 – is the second Hardin County festival to be canceled due to the novel coronaviru…

March 14. That’s the last time Iowa Falls’ First Christian Church congregated. But with Gov. Kim Reynolds relaxing certain COVID-19 restrictio…

As Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds has relaxed restrictions on elective medical procedures and some retail and restaurant operations, medical providers…

A ninth Hardin County resident has tested positive for COVID-19, the respiratory disease caused by the novel coronavirus. The diagnosis was an…

Monday’s announcement by Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds that churches will be allowed to open with restrictions this weekend was happy news for pastor…

On Tuesday, March 17, Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds ordered all bars and restaurants close or move to carry-out or delivery only to prevent the gathe…

On Monday, Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds cleared the way for fitness centers, restaurants, retail stores and libraries in 77 counties to open their d…

According to an Iowa Department of Human Services official, two staffers at the Iowa State Training School for Boys in Eldora have tested posi…

Rocky Reents, the public health coordinator for Greenbelt Home Care/Hardin County Public Health, told the county supervisors Wednesday morning…

An eighth Hardin County resident has tested positive for COVID-19, the respiratory disease caused by the novel coronavirus. Greenbelt Home Car…

Many local business owners are finding that it was easier to shut down at a moment’s notice than it is to reopen with a four-day head start. S…

School teachers are used to putting the needs of their students before any personal concerns.

Iowa's Ride, the cross-state bicycle ride that planned for its inaugural west-to-east journey this summer, has been canceled amid concerns abo…

After more than a month of closures, some Hardin County businesses will be allowed to open later this week, albeit under restrictions.

Senior year of high school is usually made up of a list of lasts.

Hansen Family Hospital has spent more than a year building its income statement. For 12 months straight, its recorded positive bottom lines an…

A seventh Hardin County resident has tested positive for COVID-19, the respiratory disease caused by the novel coronavirus. Greenbelt Home Car…

A sixth Hardin County resident has tested positive for COVID-19, the respiratory disease caused by the novel coronavirus. Greenbelt Home Care/…

EDITOR'S NOTE: This story will be updated as additional grant recipients are announced. It was last updated at 9 a.m. on Friday, April 24, 2020.

The launch this week of a statewide COVID-19 testing program has caused some confusion among the public. And now Hansen Family Hospital offici…

McFarland Clinics in Iowa Falls and Eldora are now using telemedicine conferences with patients to limit their possible exposure to the novel …

A fifth Hardin County resident has tested positive for COVID-19, the respiratory disease caused by the novel coronavirus. Greenbelt Home Care/…

Hubbard Days - the community celebration held every June - has been canceled amid concerns about the spread of the coronavirus pandemic.

Almost every business sector has been hit hard by the coronavirus pandemic. One of the biggest blows has been dealt to bars and restaurants, w…

Lance Granzow doesn’t sugar coat his feelings about video conference meetings.

Having both children and an academic career is already challenging, but now many teachers are juggling multiple jobs as their classroom has mo…

Times Citizen Communications is announcing the launch of a grant program aimed at buoying local small businesses through the COVID-19 pandemic…

Since Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds announced the closure of schools for the remainder of the academic year on Friday, local districts have been scra…

Editor's Note: This story is bring reprinted, with permission, from Iowa Capital Dispatch, a nonprofit independent news site.

With processing plants throughout the Midwest shuttering to stop the spread of COVID-19 among workers, the livestock industry is facing a new …

A fourth Hardin County resident has tested positive for COVID-19, the respiratory disease caused by the novel coronavirus. Greenbelt Home Care…

RAGBRAI - the cross-state bicycle ride that was scheduled to spend a night in Iowa Falls this summer - will not be held this year. Instead, be…

When Dena Zoske sent a text that the parade of Hubbard-Radcliffe Elementary School preschool staff was nearly to the Balvanz house, Dax Balvan…

A third Hardin County resident has tested positive for COVID-19, the respiratory disease caused by the novel coronavirus. The case was announc…

The announcement Friday that Iowa schools will remain closed through the end of the current school year came as little surprise to many educat…

While Friday's announcement felt like a formality to many spring sports athletes and coaches, the announcement still cut deep.

Like most people across the world, the lives of college athletes have been turned upside down as they adjust to changes brought on by the COVI…

While popular community hubs like public libraries remain closed due to the novel coronavirus pandemic, a few area directors are finding ways …

A second case of COVID-19 has been confirmed in Hardin County. The case was announced by Greenbelt Home Care/Hardin County Public Health just …

Less than 1 percent of Hardin County’s residents have been tested for COVID-19. That’s according to new data released this week by the Iowa De…

As the number of confirmed COVID-19 cases and deaths rise, for many people, so does anxiety around the pandemic. And at the same time, the pan…

Thanks to David Jones and Jones Appliance, 100 employees at various Iowa Falls businesses will get an at least a partially free treat from an …

I had an idea last year. But it, like many of my ideas, got pushed to the side when more pressing issues took up my available time.

Don Anderson has made many connections throughout his high school coaching career, but one of his North Iowa student-athletes in Buffalo Cente…

What’s one of the hottest products during the COVID-19 pandemic?

An update from the Iowa Department of Public Health on Monday morning seemed to report a second COVID-19 case in Hardin County. But when local…

Beacons of light illuminated seeds of hope for student-athletes at high school athletic complexes in the state of Iowa Friday evening.

A national shortage of personal protective equipment coupled with recommendations from health officials that Americans wear protective face ma…

COVID-19 has forced changes to the way federal prisoners are fed. And for one Ackley-based company that means an increase in business.

Greenbelt Home Care, which also serves as Hardin County Public Health, is using state and federal grants to help it through the COVID-19 pandemic.

Athletic fields at Iowa Falls-Alden, South Hardin and AGWSR high schools will light up tonight in a show of unity and support for students who…

As the number of COVID-19 cases in Iowa climbs, long-term care facilities have seen more than their fair share of cases. The Iowa Department o…

A new six-region system is tracking the availability of medical resources across Iowa as government leaders and medical professionals prepare …

As COVID-19 has restricted Americans' movement and interactions, some are getting creative about ways to connect and give back. And that's per…

Hardin County still has just one confirmed case of COVID-19, the disease caused by the novel coronavirus, and Thomas Craighton - the county's …

Assuming students return to school on Wednesday, May 1 - after seven weeks of cancellations due to the novel coronavirus pandemic - both the I…

Have you worried that Fido, Fluffy or one of your family's other pets may pick up the novel coronavirus and transmit it to you? Rest easy, say…

South Hardin schools will implement an enhanced voluntary continuous learning plan through at least April 30.

Iowa Falls Area Development Corporation Executive Director Mark Buschkamp discusses economic assistance that's available to small business own…

An unclear sentence spoken by Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds at a press conference sent confusion through cities across the state on Monday.

The novel coronavirus continues to spread throughout the United States - as of Monday, there had been more than 10,000 deaths caused by the di…

Becca and Jeremy Leitzen resorted to chocolate chip cookie bribery to convince their three oldest children to hold still while their dad gave …

When it comes to social distancing, and being an essential industry, few jobs compare to farming. Still, the profession is not immune to the i…

Many people aren’t leaving their homes, let alone letting complete strangers in. That is the problem that realtors are facing as the coronavir…

For more than a week, most of Hardin County’s neighboring counties stood at zero confirmed cases of COVID-19. That changed over the weekend as…

Iowa’s schools, which closed for four weeks beginning March 16 to slow the spread of the novel coronavirus, found out this week that they’ll r…

Many of the patients who visit Hansen Family Hospital for rehabilitation services can’t afford to miss therapy, even when a global pandemic is…

As of Wednesday afternoon, there were 549 confirmed cases of COVID-19 in Iowa. Of those, 63 patients have been hospitalized. Among them is Jus…

Hardin County Emergency Management Coordinator Thomas Craighton said an estimated 10,000 pieces of personal protective equipment - commonly re…

In a span of 30 minutes, dozens of people drove, walked and rode their bikes by Eldora-New Providence Elementary School to pick up free meals …

Fareway Stores and Hy-Vee Inc, the two biggest grocery store chains in Iowa, have announced separate programs that will assist employees finan…

As some 300 cars cruised by the Coffee Attic and Book Cellar Friday night, Pat and Kat Bissell had a front row seat. The business owners hande…

Alex High was understandably upset. On March 17 he was told he could no longer run The Stumble Inn as a dine-in restaurant. Before the ink on …

The best medicine for cabin fever is getting outside.

This is a stressful and confusing time for everyone, especially for school-aged children. They're suddenly unable to socialize and learn with …

College students across the country will be finishing the spring semester in the comfort of their own homes, as many institutions have closed …

Hardin County’s first confirmed case of COVID-19 was officially reported by the state on Friday morning, along with 55 other new cases and two…

While most small retail businesses are being negatively affected by the COVID-19 pandemic, Tyler Duit is staying as busy as ever.

Greenbelt Home Care announced Thursday afternoon that a case of novel coronavirus (COVID-19) has been confirmed in Hardin County. According to…

With the announcement by Greenbelt Home Care and the Iowa Department of Public Health Thursday that the first case of COVID-19 has been confir…

The City of Iowa Falls will reduce a portion of residents’ and businesses’ utility bills for the next three months and set aside $40,000 for l…

It’s easy to identify the local hot spots when it comes to closures and restrictions due to COVID-19. But what about places that aren’t open e…

You’ve cleaned all the closets. You’ve watched all the Netflix you can stand. You’ve found all of the neighborhood teddy bears. And it’s only …

COVID-19 has shut down schools, churches, restaurants and gatherings larger than 10 people, but for the area's largest employers things are st…

Disposable wipes - both for disinfecting and for use in place of toilet paper - are helping the public combat the spread of germs and shortage…

Brett Pfaltzgraff could see the writing on the wall. The novel coronavirus COVID-19 was spreading across the country. When it got to Iowa, he …

Green Belt Bank & Trust, in an effort to support the people and businesses in its communities, is launching initiatives to encourage suppo…

It used to be common place on Friday and Saturday nights. Lines of cars could be seen for hours at a time, scooping their small-town "loops." …

Up to $25,000 in grant money from the State of Iowa is being made available for small business owners due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Two local women - both of whom intended to spend this spring exploring Europe - are instead home, self-isolating after being forced to return …

It’s been more than a week since most of us began self isolating and social distancing to protect ourselves and our communities from the sprea…

The City of Iowa Falls is separating departments into teams and sanitizing work spaces twice a day in an effort to keep essential services ope…

Ackley City Hall and the Police Department were sanitized by a cleaning crew this week after a city employee was placed on a 14-day quarantine…

Whether the COVID-19 school closure lasts the current four weeks or is extended to last the rest of the school year, Iowa Falls School Distric…

Around 70 kids and their families will be forced to make alternative child care arrangements beginning Monday when Eldora Children's Center cl…

Churches have effectively shut down in the wake of Gov. Kim Reynolds' declaration prohibiting gatherings of more than 10 people through March …

COVID-19 has impacted almost every part of American society over the past week, trials and courtrooms included.

The past couple of years, Backwoods Gallery has seen minimal sales of its homemade hand sanitizer products.

There haven’t been any confirmed cases of COVID-19 in Hardin County, but that doesn’t mean Hansen Family Hospital isn’t ready to respond to th…

Precautions to prevent the spread of COVID-19 in Iowa have closed movie theaters and schools and restricted restaurants to takeout only. For a…

While the public is asked to practice social distancing due to the COVID-19 virus, law enforcement is something that can't be operated from th…

To limit the spread of COVID-19, the Hardin County Board of Supervisors agreed Wednesday morning to close the county courthouse, county office…

If I had a dollar for every time I’ve heard the phrase “unprecedented times” in the last week I’d have . . . not quite enough to buy a package…

There were no students roaming the hallways inside Iowa Falls-Alden High School Tuesday afternoon, but three members of the custodial staff we…

This week has been a difficult one for the people who rely on food banks and free or reduced-price community and school meals to feed themselv…

Iowa movie theaters are closed, and restaurants can operate as delivery or carry-out only after Gov. Kim Reynolds issued a State of Public Hea…

On Monday (March 16) the National Junior College Athletic Association announced that all upcoming basketball championships as well as spring c…

School’s out for a month. Churches have canceled services. Hansen Family Hospital is setting up a drive-through tent to test patients for COVI…

Hy-Vee Store Manager Stephanie Dagel likened recent customer traffic through the Iowa Falls grocery store to "five days of blizzards without t…

Hansen Family Hospital is preparing to set up a COVID-19 evaluation and testing site in its parking lot this week. But officials caution that …

The Hardin County Supervisors approved an emergency disaster declaration during a special meeting Monday morning.

Every morning at Hansen Family Hospital, department leaders gather for a meeting. In recent days that meeting added a new component: updates t…

UPDATE: As of Monday, March 24 the NJCAA canceled all spring sports seasons as well as the upcoming basketball championships.

As novel coronavirus COVID-19 spreads throughout the U.S. and Iowa, events are being canceled or postponed, and access to some public places i…

The Iowa Valley Community College District announced Friday afternoon that it will cancel classes on Monday, March 16 and Tuesday, March 17 at…

A group of Hardin County entities will meet next Tuesday to discuss the coronavirus and the problems it's creating.

This week the U.S. response to the novel coronavirus, which is known as COVID-19, has captured the attention of millions of Americans. Ohio an…

There have been no positive COVID-19 tests in Hardin County, but health care providers, educators, businesses and others are heeding the advic…

It's finally here.